Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka edge A's, 2-1

NEW YORK – Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka has been the Yankees' one-man panacea this season. Every fifth day, he has given his teammates a reason to believe they’ll shed the malaise that has become their season of discontent.

But with his signature splitter lacking bite, it was a struggle for the Yankees’ prized Japanese import. The Oakland A’s repeatedly took him deep into the court as they didn’t swing at his splitter and raised his pitch count.

While the Yankees offense continued to sputter despite the presence of both Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran – they combined for four strikeouts, their bullpen bounced back with three scoreless innings to preserve a nerve-racking 2-1 victory in a Thursday matinee before 44,346 fans at Yankee Stadium.

The victory enabled the Yankees (30-29) to halt a four-game losing streak and conclude a disappointing homestand with a 2-5 mark as they embark on a 10-game road trip starting Friday night in Kansas City. They’ll also have stops in Seattle and Oakland.

The A's (37-23), who boast the best record in the American League, had their five-game winning streak snapped.

Tanaka (9-1, 2.02 ERA), whose talent is surpassed only by his competitiveness, battled through six workman-like innings, allowing one run and five hits, including a solo homer. He struck out four and walked one over 104 innings. The Yankees are 10-2 in his 12 starts.

The heavy-hitting and patient A’s took Tanaka to the brink and he repeatedly responded. Routinely, A’s batters had eight-, nine- and 10-pitch at bats but Tanaka never gave in. He threw nearly 50 pitches in the final two innings.

“I think so,” Girardi said when asked if this was Tanaka’s biggest game. “How hard they made him work. I definitely think so. Especially after given up a homer to the second hitter and being able to shut them down.

“I thought it was a gritty performance. I think you can say it’s maybe his biggest performance for us.”

Tanaka said he relished the challenge of facing the A’s and was prepared for their deliberate approach at the plate. He stopped short of saying it was his best effort.

“As far as my personal performance goes, I don’t think it was my best performance for the season,” he said through his interpreter. “But given the fact that our team was a little bit in a slump and we were facing one of the best teams in the league right now, I was really happy I was able to contribute.”

Alfonso Soriano busted out of a 0-for-16 slump with a run-scoring single and Brett Gardner blasted a solo homer to provide the offense.

The bullpen, which has stumbled in recent outings, brought the victory home. Dellin Betances pitched the seventh; Adam Warren pitched in and out of trouble in the eighth – wiggling out of a two-on, no-out jam, and closer David Robertson pitched the ninth for his 13th save.

In the ninth inning, with pinch-runner Craig Gentry on second and one out, Robertson and Teixeira combined to make a game-saving play when with Alberto Callaspo's grounder hit off Robertson's leg, ricocheted to Teixeira and Robertson raced over to first to catch Teixeira's toss for the second out. Then, Robertson struck out Derek Norris looking for the final out with Gentry on third.

The A’s greeted Tanaka rudely as John Jaso, their No. 2 hitter, redirected a first-pitch fastball into the second deck in right field for a solo homer. It was the first home run Tanaka allowed in his past six starts after surrendering seven in his first six starts.

The Yankees’ inability to manufacture runs during their power outage continued in the first inning. After Derek Jeter smoked a single to center, Jacoby Ellsbury cracked a one-out double off the lip of the wall in right field that was initially called a homer but reversed upon review.

But with runners on second and third, Teixeira lined out to third and Beltran, who returned to the lineup following a three-week hiatus with a bone spur in his right elbow, struck out. It was a microcosm of the Yankees’ season.

In the second inning, Alfonso Soriano blasted out of a 0-for-16 slump with a run-scoring single to right center field that plated Brian McCann and tied the game, 1-1.

Power came from an unlikely source for the Yankees when Gardner led off the third inning by walloping a first-pitch fastball from A’s starter Drew Pomeranz (5-3) into the second deck in right field. It was his fourth homer of the season, giving the Yankees a 2-1 edge.